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Keith J Ruskin

Publications and source records attributed to Keith J Ruskin.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Communication devices in the operating room.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Effective communication is essential to patient safety. Although radio pagers have been the cornerstone of medical communication, new devices such as cellular telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and laptop or tablet computers can help anesthesiologists to get information quickly and reliably. Anesthesiologists can use these devices to speak with colleagues, access the medical record, or help a colleague in another location without having to leave a patient's side. Recent advances in communication technology offer anesthesiologists new ways to improve patient care. RECENT FINDINGS: Anesthesiologists rely on a wide variety of information to make decisions, including vital signs, laboratory values, and entries in the medical record. Devices such as PDAs and computers with wireless networking can be used to access this information. Mobile telephones can be used to get help or ask for advice, and are more efficient than radio pagers. Voice over Internet protocol is a new technology that allows voice conversations to be routed over computer networks. It is widely believed that wireless devices can cause life-threatening interference with medical devices. The actual risk is very low, and is offset by a significant reduction in medical errors that results from more efficient communication. SUMMARY: Using common technology like cellular telephones and wireless networks is a simple, cost-effective way to improve patient care.

Anesthesiology↗
PubMed2006

Communication in critical care environments: mobile telephones improve patient care.

Most hospital policies prohibiting the use of wireless devices cite reports of disruption of medical equipment by cellular telephones. There have been no studies to determine whether mobile telephones may have a beneficial impact on safety. At the 2003 meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists 7878 surveys were distributed to attendees. The five-question survey polled anesthesiologists regarding modes of communication used in the operating room/intensive care unit and experience with communications delays and medical errors. Survey reliability was verified using test-retest analysis and proportion agreement in a convenience sample of 17 anesthesiologists. Four-thousand-eighteen responses were received. The test-retest reliability of the survey instrument was excellent (Kappa = 0.75; 95% confidence interval, 0.56-0.94). Sixty-five percent of surveyed anesthesiologists reported using pagers as their primary mode of communications, whereas only 17% used cellular telephones. Forty-five percent of respondents who use pagers reported delays in communications compared with 31% of cellular telephone users. Cellular telephone use by anesthesiologists is associated with a reduction in the risk of medical error or injury resulting from communication delay (relative risk = 0.78; 95% confidence interval, 0.6234-0.9649). The small risks of electromagnetic interference between mobile telephones and medical devices should be weighed against the potential benefits of improved communication.

Anesthesiology↗